How To Prevent Cellphone Frostbite

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As frigid weather continues to pound the East Coast and the
Plains, fingers go numb, noses go red and cellphones go out. "We
remind customers that their electronics operate best in the same
temperatures that people like, too," said Jazmin Hupp, director
of marketing at Tekserve, a popular Manhattan Apple reseller.

When the temperature drops below freezing, the lithium-ion
batteries can lose some of, or even all, their charge for a time.
What looked like a half-full battery when you walked out of the
house could soon appear completely empty and shut down in
20-degree weather. Stop inside for a while, restart the phone and
the battery will probably appear half-full again.

In most cases, the cold isn't doing any permanent damage — just
reducing the power of the battery until you warm it up again.
This shouldn't come as a surprise. With the iPhone, for example,
Apple's site clearly states, "Operating ambient temperature: 32
degrees to 95 degrees F (0 degrees to 35 degrees C)."

But most people don't read specs. Tekserve's Hupp said that the
store's service department has had a spike in complaints about
short battery life on iPods and iPhones during the cold snap. In
the past week, the company has also sold 20 percent more Mophie
Juice Packs — external
iPhone batteries. But they are just as susceptible to the
cold as the phone's built-in battery.

The only proven remedy is perhaps also the simplest: Put your
phone in your pocket. That will disrupt the popular pastime of
surfing and walking. But it's the safe bet: protecting not only
your phone but also your chilled fingers, as well as decreasing
the likelihood of walking into traffic. [See also:
How to Improve Android Smartphone Battery Life ]

No technology is likely to be foolproof. "Cases can't really help
unless you had a specific case that warmed the product," said
Bryan Hynecek, chief designer at
smartphone case maker Speck. "Still, you would need something
over the glass because that is a large surface … best thing is to
keep it in a pocket close to the body and only use in short
intervals."

"A good case will mitigate that issue (somewhat)," wrote Ken
Sander, owner of New York City electronic repair shop, The Cable
Doctor, in an email. Sander recommended one piece of hardware,
however. "If you used headphones, it won't be an issue," he said,
because the phone would remain in the pocket.